Category: Holiday health

Don’t you just hate jet lag? Just when you think you’ve escaped work for two precious weeks and enjoy your summer holiday, jet lag strikes and you feel exhausted, yet you can’t sleep at the right time, you’ve got headaches, can’t eat properly and you just don’t feel ‘right’.

The effects of jet lag can be so bad it can affect your enjoyment of your holiday for days.

Jet lag affects us when our body’s rhythms are out of sync with the time at our destination – the body operates on a 24-hour cycle, and travelling to a different time zone alters the body’s natural rhythm leading to jet lag. The more time zones you travel through the worse the symptoms can be, and travelling west to east is worse than travelling east to west, as it’s harder to adapt to a reduced number of hours in a day than it is to add a few hours.

The symptoms of jet lag can include all or some of the following:

Fatigue and lethargy

Insomnia

Lack of concentration

Disorientation

Headaches

Loss of appetite and nausea

Digestive problems

Dehydration

Swollen hands and feet

Irritability or anxiety

Generally, the length of your flight doesn’t cause jet lag, it’s the amount of time zones you travel through. For every time zone travelled through it can take up to a day to recover!

While there is no miracle cure, you can take steps to minimize the effects of jet lag.

Dehydration
As dehydration can play an important part in jet lag it is important to drink plenty of fluids – water ideally, however, fruit juice or herbal teas will be okay. Try to avoid drinking alcohol and caffeine.

Adapting to time differences
Try to adapt to your destination time as soon as possible. Set your watch to the destination time as soon as you board the plane, try to eat at times appropriate to your destination time, not departure time.

If you are due to arrive at your destination in the morning, try sleeping on the plane. Yes, I do know how difficult it is to sleep in such cramped conditions, but try taking off your shoes, getting as comfortable as possible and just closing your eyes – an eye mask and ear plugs will help block out distractions.

If you are due to arrive at night, do try to stay awake during the flight. If you sleep on the plane you will find it difficult sleeping when you arrive and it will take more time to adjust during your holiday.

You may find it useful to gradually adjust your daily routine by an hour a day for a few days before you travel – getting up an hour earlier or staying up later for a few days may help you adjust quicker when you arrive.

If it’s daytime when you arrive and you feel tired, try to resist the temptation to sleep. Get outside into the sunshine. Daylight and sunshine are a major factor in resetting your body clock. If you simply must sleep, set your alarm and try not to sleep for more than an hour.

Jet2, which offers flights to many ski destinations, has suggested the following ski fit tips to help make the most of your time on the slopes:

Improve ski stamina with three 20 minutes sessions of uninterrupted cardio each week

If cycling, running and other more traditional exercise regimes are not for you, try joining the Zumba craze to boost cardio fitness

Biking, the cross trainer and step are great for building up leg strength

Yoga or general stretching help with suppleness making your muscles more prepared

Pilates and abdominal exercises help with core strength giving vital back support when you’re on the slopes

Strengthen leg, bum and tum muscles with squats and knee raises

Don’t forget to give shoulders and backs a boost to build core strength and help balance.

The airline also suggests taking care of mind, body and soul when you arrive by:

Skiing away stress – clear your mind and whittle down your worries as you focus on overcoming the mountain terrain rather than everyday stresses

Burning more calories – it doesn’t get much healthier than a ski trip. Burning calories and fresh clean air combined with exercise at high altitude means a better aerobic workout

Getting a natural high – mountain air, magnificent views and exercise are great for releasing serotonin – making you feel happy and increasing natural immunity

Stretching before and after is just as important on the slopes as it is in your pre trip regime

Respect the environment – observe and follow the information and advice regarding your resort, be mindful of weather predicted, respect the boundaries of the piste unless you have experience and equipment for off-piste environments.

Ian Doubtfire, Managing Director of Jet2.com, said: “To be able to maximize enjoyment of the holiday and to avoid annoying aches and pains whilst away we recommend an exercise programme prior to hitting the slopes. At this time of year many people are looking to rid themselves of extra inches accumulated over the festive period and getting fit to ski provides a great way to recover from over indulgences.”